


Wherever, whenever, forever

by kienai



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Video Calling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:40:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24497356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kienai/pseuds/kienai
Summary: He missed seeing Jun hard at work trying to cook them an exotic new meal; he missed seeing Jun’s bed hair after he took a long nap in Sho’s bed; he missed the feel of Jun’s imperfect but beautiful skin under his fingertips; he missed the sound of Jun’s voice filling his apartment; and most of all, he missed Jun’s presence next to him.
Relationships: Matsumoto Jun/Sakurai Sho
Comments: 10
Kudos: 23





	Wherever, whenever, forever

**Author's Note:**

> I saw on Twitter a while ago someone said they wanted to see a ShoJun fic of them video calling while the lockdown is going on, or something along those lines, so I 100% stole that idea and ran with it. It's been a LONG time since I last wrote seriously, so please forgive me if this work isn't the greatest. The title was obviously stolen from Love So Sweet: Reborn.

He was awoken by the notifications of incoming text messages from his phone that sat on his bedside table. It buzzed once, twice, three times then stopped. Sho considered going back to sleep but decided if someone was texting him at this time - which he read as 4:30am on his digital clock - it might be important. He rolled over in bed, grabbed his phone and drearily unlocked it, before tapping on those 3 messages.

_Sho_  
_are you awake?_  
_i know it’s late but can i call you?_

Sho’s sleepy frown turned into a small smile when he saw who the sender was and read the messages, a warm feeling creeping its way into his heart. Before he could reply, his ringtone sounded out and his screen changed, notifying him that a certain someone was calling. Sho accepted the call with a slight grin at the caller’s impatient habits and lifted the phone to his ear as he settled back onto his comfortable mattress.

“Impatient, huh Matsumoto?” Sho began with amusement, before Jun was able to get any words in.

“Shut up, _Sakurai_. You’re the one who accepted on the first ring,” a teasing response came from the other man, slightly shy with tiredness evident in his voice.

“Why are you calling anyway? It’s the middle of the night, and I was in the middle of a lovely dream about my watches when your messages interrupted it.”

Jun got quiet suddenly, hesitating slightly, “I just… I was having an online meeting with the staff about rescheduling and cancellations and, well, I felt a bit lonely. Sorry to disturb you from your sleep, Sho-san. You can go if you want”

“No, no, it’s okay, I’m always happy to get a call from you. I’ve been lonely too, I guess. It’s odd having to stay at home, isolated from everyone.”

“Yeah…” Jun's voice was soft, then he laughed into the phone, “my apartment almost feels empty without you showing up randomly after your work with your arrangements of seafood or alcohol and demanding we watch movies. Oh, and I hope you don’t miss your red hoodie! _Somehow_ I wore it to bed a few nights ago and it kind of smells like me now, so I’m sure you won’t want it back.”

Sho laughed too, then blushed at the thought of Jun wearing his favorite red hoodie with cute tired eyes and those glasses that made him irresistibly cute. “You rascal, that’s my favourite sweater! I thought I had lost it, but I guess it was just the evil Matsumoto thief striking me.”

“But Sho-kun, it’s comfortable!” Jun whined, his spoilt personality coming out as always.

“Yes, and it’s mine! I bought it, go buy your own one you burglar.” Sho tried pretending to be mad, but really it was difficult to be angry at Jun (especially when he thought about how adorable Jun is in his clothes).

“But… if I buy a _new_ one it’s not the same! I like your own clothes better, although your sweatpants are a bit short on me.”

Sho decided to ignore Jun’s obvious confession of his love for Sho’s clothing, instead being reminded of their younger days, “Remember when I was taller than you? You were so cute and tiny back then, with your chubby cheeks and crooked teeth,” Sho sometimes felt ashamed of his past, but teenage Matsumoto Jun was a sight he never wants to forget.

“Are you implying I’m not cute now?” Jun’s tone was teasing and Sho could practically hear Jun’s cute pretend-pout through the phone; he felt a sudden surge of longing to see that face he loved again.

“Of course not! Even at 80, you’d still be the cutest man on Earth. But Macchan,” Sho put on his cutest voice, “since your face is so cute, how about you let me see it?” It was a lame attempt to convince the other man to use the video call option of their messaging app, a slightly flirtatious comment that he hoped was convincing enough.

Jun’s loud laugh came through, and Sho felt irrationally jealous of his neighbours who got to hear Jun laugh in person - albeit through some pretty thick apartment walls. “Smooth Sakurai, why don’t you just admit you miss me and want to stare at my handsome face? It’s okay, I think you’re pretty good-looking too.”

Sho could almost imagine the cheeky smile Jun would give him with that last comment. “You were the one who called me, so don’t act all innocent in this. I’m perfectly capable of being alone for a few weeks, you know. I am an adult, Matsumoto.”

Sho tried to be defensive, although he couldn’t deny that he missed seeing Jun in person. He missed seeing Jun hard at work trying to cook them an exotic new meal; he missed seeing Jun’s bed hair after he took a long nap in _Sho’s_ bed; he missed the feel of Jun’s imperfect but beautiful skin under his fingertips; he missed the sound of Jun’s voice filling his apartment; and most of all, he missed Jun’s presence next to him.

For Sho and Jun it was sometimes hard being the nation’s favourite idols: whilst they got all the fame and money they could have ever wanted, they couldn’t even live together permanently, instead having to move between each other’s apartments on almost opposite sides of the city, while in constant fear of being caught by the media. After all, if it got out that two of the biggest idols in Japan were in a gay relationship, who knows what would happen to their careers, and to Arashi.

And truthfully, their relationship was more of an on-and-off thing throughout the years, often they would need to completely disregard their relationship for the sake of work and keeping up appearances. It tired Sho at times, knowing it would be a long time until they could have a normal, stable relationship thanks to the social stigma of homosexuality, but quiet moments like these where it was just the two of them being playful and affectionate in the dead of the night made everything worth it. Even from across the city, towering skyscrapers and a maze of streets between them, Sho had never felt more strongly for a person he loved - a result of feelings that had accumulated and grown over the many years that they knew each other - and he was certain that things would always work out okay.

It seemed like Jun felt the same, his soft voice over the phone sounding out in Sho’s silent apartment, “I do miss you Sho. It’s something I rarely like to admit but these past few weeks, knowing you’re still here, in the same city, and yet I can’t go see you… it makes me grateful for the time we do spend together. Sure we have to be much more secretive than our straight friends, but at least we’re regularly working together. Being in Arashi with you - and the others - is one of the best things to happen to me and I could never ask for anything better.” Jun went quiet for a second, seemingly overwhelmed by emotions much like Sho was at that moment, then he spoke again with a lighter tone, “So, Sho-kun, are you gonna let me see your face or what? Watching Zero News isn’t enough for me!”

They both laughed, and Sho adjusted his position slightly before bringing his phone in front of him and turning on the camera. His room was dark, stray lights from the surrounding city not quite reaching his window and the sun only just starting to rise, but there was sufficient light to show the image of his messy bed hair and expensive bed sheets pulled up to his sloping shoulders and covering his shirtless torso. A few seconds later, a sleepy Matsumoto Jun appeared on his phone screen, slightly propped up in his bed with a plain white shirt and his at-home pair of glasses that perfectly complemented his bold features. On Jun’s face was a shy but joyous smile, the kind that caused slight crinkles around his eyes that shone brightly even with the prominent, dark eyebags caused by getting limited sleep - even in this lockdown.

Despite this being a sight he had been welcomed to many a time over the years, Sho couldn’t help the slight increase in his heart rate when he saw how soft and calm Jun looked on his phone screen, a reminder that no matter how many years pass he will always be madly head over heels for the youngest member of Arashi. Being able to see this rare, almost intimate side of Jun was a privilege that Sho most certainly took for granted despite knowing how many people - fans, staff, even other celebrities - would kill to be this close with Jun. _My Jun_ , Sho thought smugly.

“Your smile is creeping me out slightly, Sho. Mind sharing what’s going on in that ever-busy mind of yours?” Now that Jun’s face was visible, Sho could see his eyebrow raised with that hot Matsumoto smirk - it was the face of someone who had Sho wrapped around his finger, and they both knew it.

Sho decided to retaliate, stating the full truth. “I’m just thinking about how pretty you are, and how lucky I am for you to be all mine. _My_ Macchan.”

Jun’s blush was evident - even with his mediocre camera quality - and his smirk turned into a tentative smile while his eyes seemed to beam with affection. Sho was sure his own eyes looked no different. Jun then grinned happily and responded with a jest, “I’m not a pet, Sho-kun. Unless you’re into that stuff? We can always experiment next time we see each other.” Jun winked and there was a second of silence before they both burst into loud laughter, the late time a distant fact in their love-clouded minds.

Sho calmed down then smiled mischievously, “Well Jun, you did act in ‘Kimi Wa Petto’ so I think you’ll find that you are kind of a pet, in the nicest way possible.” That earned him a half-hearted death stare from the younger man, but Sho just smiled innocently.

“God, that drama was ages ago. It was terrible though, I went from tough guy Sawada Shin to a fucking human pet called Momo, I don’t know how teenage me pulled it off. Please forget about it, for the sake of my pride.”

“But it was cute!” Sho whined, his inner child coming out, “You were so fluffy and adorable, I miss that young Jun-kun. The Jun-kun now is all serious, and your hair is shorter too…” Sho pouted, although he didn’t really care about Jun’s hair (in his opinion, Jun would look gorgeous even if he was bald). He did sometimes miss teenage Jun’s innocence and constant admiration for Sho, but in the end their relationship was much healthier when they could both be mature with each other - of course, though, they both still had their child-like, care-free personalities which they knew fans adored, it was just toned-down more. They were in their late 30s after all, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t still have fun.

“But I seem to recall you telling me my current hair is _“fluffy, cute, and perfect to run my hands through”_ , hm Sho? And don’t lie, I know you love my muscles much more than the stick I was 20 years ago,” Sho smiled sheepishly at that comment because it was true that he loved how Jun’s body was built these days. “Don’t worry, while I do miss your slightly infuriating belly button piercing, I also like how soft and gentle you are now.”

Sho smiled at that, a burning desire to hold Jun in his arms and simply feel his presence nearby growing in his heart. This kind of conversation topic was rare, they tended to avoid talking about the past as it entailed some quite dreary years for their relationship - as coworkers, friends and partners alike - back when they were young, stupid and scared of their true feelings. However those days had passed, they had grown exponentially and Jun was no longer the kinda-annoying-but-cute kouhai, while Sho was no longer the temperamental person he used to be. The topic of their past was not so much controversial, more just an unfavourable time which they had long since moved on from (although Sho will never forget their junior days, he can boldly state that the time he spent with Jun back then was truly a blessing.)

“Soft and gentle my ass, I still work out, I’m not old yet!” Sho easily fell back into their teasing flow of conversation, it was something of a habit for them when they were forced to be apart. Their time spent together physically was usually calmer and more about just being together, cherishing their precious free time.

“Say whatever you want, Ojiichan.” Jun’s fond smile showed on Sho’s phone screen, as well as a wide yawn that he tried to hide behind his palm. “Your hair is getting longer, don’t you dare cut it. It really does make you look so precious, I can’t wait to get my hands in it.”

“Are you implying something there Matsumoto?”

“No! I just think your hair looks nice, really.” He pouted once more at Sho’s accusations. “I wish you were here next to me, so I could run my hands through your hair and fall asleep with you and... Ah, I’m making myself sad now,” Jun’s droopy eyes looked longingly into his phone camera, and Sho could feel his heart burst.

“I’m really sorry Jun, you know if I could be there with you right now I would. But for now, spontaneous video calls at almost 5am will have to do.” He felt almost guilty, but knew there wasn’t really much he could do personally to just end a pandemic.

Jun mumbled grumpily in response, something along the lines of “damn this virus, I want to hug Sho” and Sho melted a bit inside at how cute sleepy Jun could be.

“Shouldn’t we get to sleep soon anyway? It’s late, and you haven't slept at all tonight.”

“Oh yeah, your dreams about watches are probably calling you, aren’t they? I have the time to nap these days, so it’s fine Sho-kun. Don’t you worry about me.” Jun smiled, but Sho knew those sleepy eyes like the back of his hands.

“Of course I worry Jun, your eye bags look bigger than Jupiter - not that it makes you less attractive of course, but sleep is always good for you.” Trying to reason with a stubborn Matsumoto Jun was hard at times although by how Jun’s eyelids kept dropping while they talked, Sho could tell he wouldn’t last long.

“... I just, I don’t want to end our call. I feel like I have to make the most of this break we have, as much as I do love our work, and I worry that when things go back to normal I’ll be even busier than before. I don’t want to miss out on time with you, Sho.” His sleep-laced voice got quieter at the end, his true thoughts flooding out like water in a broken dam, “I’m seriously disappointed at how much has been cancelled thanks to the virus, we had such big plans for our last year and now it’s all been ruined. It scares me that we might not even have the chance to perform in front of our fans one last time. I think I needed this break - it gives me time to prepare for whatever the world throws at us next - and yet I feel like I’ve just been wasting it. We’ve hardly talked outside of work, and I’m not blaming either of us but damn I wish we could just live together and god help me, I’m so close to getting up and driving straight to your apartment, Sho.” Jun’s eyes were shining slightly when he finished exposing all his raw emotions to Sho.

“Jun…” He was partially shocked by Jun’s lengthy confession, “Listen, I can’t make promises for Arashi because I sadly cannot predict the future, but one thing I know for sure is that you haven’t wasted anything. You’ve been working harder still, organising all these events for the fans and having 24/7 meetings about everything under the sun. One day, I promise you Jun, things will be easier. Just hold on a little longer, and I promise it’ll work out okay. I will always be here, Arashi will always be here.” Sho’s eyes were slightly watery too, but if you asked he’d blame it on the current time.

“Sho… thank you so much. I love you, I really do,” he then chuckled lightly, “I apologise for waking you up at such an ungodly hour just so you could listen to me complain about the world. I guess I do need sleep, huh?”

“I would do anything for you Jun, always. Don’t forget it” He smiled at his phone, where he could see Jun take off his glasses and shuffle so that he was lying down in his wide bed.

“Don’t be so sappy, old man. But me too, me too. Now shoo, you have to sleep too!” He laughed, but was already falling victim to the warmth and comfort of his expensive mattress - unfortunately without Sakurai Sho at that very moment.

“I will, Macchan. I’ll end the call once you fall asleep, that way we can be together for longer.”

Jun rolled his eyes at the elder’s proposition, “Anyone would think you’re still a love-struck teenager. But fine, if it’ll make you happy. Good night, Sho-kun.” He smiled one last time and closed his eyes, welcoming the feeling of finally succumbing to sleep.

“Good night, Jun.” Sho whispered quietly to the already half-asleep man he was proud to call his partner. Within a minute, Jun’s breathing had leveled out to a gentle snore; the man was long gone into dreamland. Sho stared at the sight of his sleeping boyfriend for a while longer, then finally ending the video call - noticing that it was already past 5am and the sun’s rays were hitting his curtains already.

When Jun awoke from his peaceful deep sleep in the morning, he found a new text message from the one and only Sakurai Sho. He read it and shook his head fondly at the words his boyfriend had sent while he slept.

_Believing is everything, my Macchan. Loving you is so sweet <3_

**Author's Note:**

> That was way deeper than I expected it to be, lol. I tried to be as realistic as possible while still making it cute, did I succeed? Was it too cringy? This is my first attempt at an Arashi fanfic (or any fanfic at all) so I sincerely hope I did okay.


End file.
